Jacques Kallis was full of praise for Jacques Rudolph’s innings in South Africa’s seven wicket triangular series day/night one-day international win over England at Old Trafford here on Thursday.
Kallis was 82 not out and Rudolph 71 not out at the finish, the pair sharing an unbroken stand of 145 that saw the Proteas home with 15 balls to spare as they overhauled England’s 223 for seven.
The result meant South Africa led the table by a point from England having played one game less.
Rudolph effectively ended 27-year-old Kallis’ bid to become only the fourth player in history to make hundreds in three successive one-day internationals.
Not that Kallis was complaining. ”I was very impressed by the way he handled it,” said the all-rounder of the 22-year-old Rudolph.
”He is very calm and that does not always come naturally to a youngster. He’s got maturity above his age.”
Kallis, who made 107 in the six wicket defeat by England at The Oval on Saturday and followed that up 24 hours later with an unbeaten 125 in the 46-run win over Zimbabwe at Canterbury, was left with a tournament average of 314.
Another hundred here would have seen him join Pakistan duo Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar as well as South Africa team-mate Herschelle Gibbs as the only men to make three successive one-day internationals.
Kallis said: ”It would have been a nice thing to do. But I’m happy with 82. Sometimes 10 off five balls is just as important if you win as hundred.”
South Africa captain Graeme Smith cut in: ”He (Rudolph) is keeping him (Kallis) hungry.”
Smith said of his team’s run-chase: ”I couldn’t believe the calmness with which we dealt with it. We said we wanted a hundred partnership. When it’s your day you must take responsibility. The two Jacques took responsibility.”
But he also said former captain Shaun Pollock’s four successive maidens at the start of England’s innings had been vital too.
”Polly was unbelievable. It definitely makes a difference. It puts a lot of pressure on the other side, especially when you take a wicket.”
Pollock finished with miserly figures of one for 21 in 10 overs.
England captain Michael Vaughan did his best to take a level-headed approach to defeat. ”We’re an inexperienced side.
We’ve had some great days and bad days and I’m sure we’ll have more.”
England were without Marcus Trescothick for most of South Africa’s innings after the in-form left-handed batsman injured his knee.
”Trescothick injured his knee while batting,” Vaughan explained after the Somerset star had accidentally hit himself. ”It stiffened up in the slips during the first 15 overs and he went off just as a precaution.” – Sapa-AFP